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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · capital · chip · prune · kick · scale · rush · chair

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — for betting
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. scale — in music
  7. capital — money
  8. scale — size or range
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. drill — army training
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chip — to eat
  20. capital — a city
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chair — a leader
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com